The state treasurer's office is seeking any good ideas to keep weight loss medications available to state health plan members.
The board that makes health insurance coverage plans for 740-thousand state workers curtailed the use of GLP-1 medicines like Wegovy, made by drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk.
While effective, these drugs are too expensive, says state treasurer Dale Folwell, who oversees the plan.
"If we had continued on the path we were going on. The individual premiums were going to double. Even though we have less than 5% of the people on our plan who are consuming this drug."
The state board hoped Novo Nordisk would reduce prices for Wegovy, which can run more than $1,300 per month per patient. But that hasn't happened yet, and so the treasurer's office is now seeking proposals for any good idea that would keep these medicines available at a lower price.